CAT FLEA - CTENOCEPHALIDES FELIS

adult female

l'lletepimeron
(slJppla.ntlng obdomlnal sternite I)
abdominal \
1ergites metathora~ ~ronotd\. cpmb
rnesothora-x / (ctenld~)
/ ,...pronotum
antepysidia.l '" // vertical r-odlike
brlst[e \
""//'---Sc. lerotizat ion
\ _- occipital regio"
--fl"Ontal- epicranial
t g,"oove
~~ __dermal pit
-­
........ -ocular bristle
e':le
.......

groove
II a.
\lar,! pa.lpus
M pa.lpU5
rnopleura
receptacvl~rl)! sosternum
semlniS \,j;-/
/
\- - mesepisternvm

a17dominal I \ -- mesepimcron

sternites I 'COX~
I --rnet~sternum
rn'etepis~ernum
L.._(JPt.:L.det~ched part
of lIIete~sternvm

eral p\~tu bri~les

--- -----4 , ~
1a.rsvs •
.168

FLEA DIAGRAM - WITH STRUCTURES LABELED

Harry D. Pratt

HEAD THORAX ABDOMEN

I I I

Prono!o'
comb
I
Antenna I I Antepygidial
Eye -bristles
Ocular bristle - - I - - ' -Pygidium

Femur
Tibia

Plantar
 FLEAS: PICTORIAL KEY TO SOME COMMON SPECIES IN THE UNITED ST.ATES
Harry D. Pratt
Genal alld ..-101 Genal olld ..-tal
combs 11"_1 combe obMftt

I I
I

I
I
I
I
I
Fronl maroln of
I

Fronl maroln of
Genal comb of 1I or mort
11M"'. E,.pr...nl E,.
G.nal comb of 4 lIMn••
absenl
labial polps nol '"­
lelldlno be,ond I ro­
chonl.r of fl"1 1'0
Labial polps '"­
lelldino be,ond Iro­
chonl.r of first 1'0
head round.d
Thorol norma I
head onoulor
Thoral conlracl.d

I
~ ,­
~LAbiOI
p olp

I
G.nol comb
I
G_I comb GROUND SQUIRREL FlEA
STICKTIGHT FLEA
horlzonlol vertical Ola_
EchldllO(JMga
Spinet poInl.d Spinet blunl lfIafIfa_
(ItIIliMC«1

Seom.nI 1I
of !ieomenl 5 of hind Mesopleuron not MetIopIeuran divided
hind _ _ wiIh tar.. with I polr divided III' vertical III'vertical rodlike
5 pol" loleral ventral (basal) GIld Ihk:lulnino Ihiei<enino
planlor brisIIea 4 poi" lateral
Head Iell9lh plantar brlsll..

~"__.
I.lc. heiohl

0
,".",-c:5J
SpiMD ____
« """Ocu lar brill!.

~spermathtCO~_
~

Ocular bristl. in­ Oculor brislle insert.d

sertld bllow eye In fronl of eye

~THERN RAT FlEA SQUIRREL FLEA ORIENTAL RAT FLEA (]l

(D
Nosopsyllus
fasci a/us
OrchopNs
howordii
XMIOPSY"a
cMopis •
 FLEAS: PICTORIAL KEY TO SPECIES FOUND ON DOMESTIC RATS IN SOUTHERN UNITED STATES •

8,
Sliqhll, r.....d .April 1947
Ror ~ Frill and _" o. Pr." ~
Genal, Pronatal and Genal and pronotal Pronotal comb No combs

abdominal combs pre..nt combs present Rev. Morch. 19$ 4 present present

~ I
~ I
I I
~ I
I
I I bristles 2 rows of bri,tles
an typical abdomi­
Thorax normal
Front maroin of
Thorax contracted
Front maroln of

• •
Genal comb of five or more

•
nal seoment head rounded head anoular

-,
spines. Eye present.

~
I
I
Genal comb
I
Genal comb
I
Genal comb
i
Labial palps not ex­
tendino beyond tro­
i
Labial palps ex­
tendino be'yond
i
2 rows of bristles
on typical abdomi­
horizontal with 4 spines with 2 spines chanter of first pair trochanter of first nal seoment

• •
SPlne'rinted
of leos pair of leos

'-----'''-_--' CrENOPHrHALMUS
PSEUDAGYRrES
I
,
Head lenqth nat
twice WIdth
,
Head lenoth
twice width
I
Seoment
hind tarsi with
5 pairs lateral
plantar bristles
!5 of
I
Seoment!5 of hind
tarsi with I pair

• ~ • tit
ventral (basal) and
4 pairs lateral
I
MesQPIeuran not
divided by vertical
sclerotization.
I
Mesoplluran divided
by vertical rodlike
sclerotizat ion.

4¥
~'i ~i ,~,,'":to~:"l';:,"" [Tr;{da
Spine I of oenal
comb distinctly
Soine I and spine
n of oenal comb
PLANTAR
BRISTLES
~ ~SOPLE~
shorter than approximately equal Ocular bristle in­ Ocu lor bristle innrt­
spine II in lenoth serted below eye ad in fran t of eye
crENOCEPHALIDES CrENOCEPHALlDES
CANIS FELIS
 171.

FLE:AS: ILLUSTRATED KEY TO SPECIES FOUND DURING PL.A GUE INVESTIG.ATIONS

Harry D. Pratt and Chester J. Stojanovich

1. Pronotal and genal combs absent (Fig. 1 A) ............................ 2

Pronotal combs present; genal comb present or absent (Fig. 1 B & G) •.. S

Fig. 1 A 1 B Fig. 1 C
2. Front margin of head with two angles; three thoracic tergites together
shorter than the first abdominal tergite (Fig. 2 A). (£chidnophaga
gallinacea) .....................................•...••.• STICKTIGl{T FLEA

Front margin of head rounded; three thoracic tergites together longer

than the first abdominal tergite (Fig. 2 B) ........................... 3

labd I

Fig. 2 A Fig. 2 B
3. Ocular bristle in front of eye; mesopleuron divided by internal sclero­
tizationj female with spermatheca partially pigmented (Fig. 3 A & B) ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • (Genus Xenopsylla) •..••..... 4

Ocular bristle beneath eye; mesopleuron without internal sclerotization;

female with spermatheca entirely without pigment (Fig. 3 C & D) ....... .
(P\!lex irri tans) .............................................HUMAN FLEA

Fig. 3 A Fig. 3 B Fig. 3 C Fig. 3 D

 .172

4. Genus Xenopsylla

--­

cheopis

astia
" ", ,
,,
,,

vexabilis hawaiiensis

Xenopsylla cheopis, male terminal segments.

,,­
,,­
,/ X. brasiliensis
,/

,/

,/

,/

,/
,/

- -- -- --
- 1£. astia

-- ---
--
1£. vexabilis hawaiiensis
Xenopsylla cheopis, female terminal segments
 173.

5. Genal comb absent (Fig. 5 A) ..................................... ~ ..... 6

Genal comb present (Fig. 5 B) .....................................••... 8

,
,,
genal,' _,
Fig. 5 A Fig. 5 B comb(..- ­

6. Pronotal comb with about 12 teeth on each side (Fig. 6 A). India ...... .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stivalius ahalae

Pronatal comb with 5 to 10 teeth on each side (Fig. 6 B) ...•........... 7

Fig. 6 B

7. Labial palpus long, ex ing beyond trochanter of first leg (Fig. 7 A).
Diamanus montanus ..................................... ROCK SQUIRREL FLEA

Labial palpus short, not extending to tip of coxa of first leg (Fig. 7 B).
Nosopsyllus fasciatus .....................•••......•...NORTHERN RAT FLEA

Fig. 7 A Fig. 7 B
labial palpus __ _
trochanter__ - - - ­

labial palpus____ _
 .,74

8. Genal comb with two teeth (Fig. 8 A) ••••••.•••..•..••••• (Genus Neopsylla)

Neopsylla setosa important in U. S. S. R., Mongolia and Manchuria.

Genal comb with three teeth (Fig. 8 B) ••••••••••••• (Genus Ctenophthalmus)

Ctenophthalmus breviatus and pollex potential vectors in U. S. S. R.

Genal comb with four teeth (Fig. 8 C) .•..•.••..••••••• (Genus Leptopsylla)

Leptopsylla segnis is cosmopolitan.

Fig. 8 A Fig. 8 B Fig. 8 C

Genal comb with more than five teeth •...........•. (Genus Ctenocephalides). 9

9. Head strongly rounded anteriorly; first spine of genal comb about half as
long as second; hind tibia with the spiniform setae A and B (Fig. 9 A & B).
Ctenocephal ides canis .••••..•..•..........•.... ;. •...........•.... DOG FLEA

Head not strongly convex anteriorly; first spine of genal comb almost as
long as second spine; hind tibia with spiniform seta B, spiniform seta A
replaced by a minute seta which may be absent in some specimens (Fig. 9 C
eSc D). Ctenocephal ides fel is ....................•...•....••...... CAT FLEA

Fig. 9 D